XLVII - Allies
"The date is January 14th. Don't forget to write your name. After that, fold the corner like this, and wait for my colleague and I to seal your paper. The exam subjects have arrived and we should receive them any minute now. I'm going to unseal those at 8:30." One of the two teachers looked at a girl sharply. "Please unwrap the paper from your bottle and throw it in the trash bin."
"But I just bought it from the school's store, sir. Is it necessary?"
"It is, I'm afraid. Those are the rules." He watched her throw away the paper wrap and return to her seat. "As you know, you are not allowed to have your own papers. I will hand you one sheet for your personal markings and brainstorming, and if you write over three pages, all you have to do is raise your hand and you will receive another exam sheet. You will fill in your name in the squared corner, like you did with the first sheet, and then continue writing."
Light turned his sheet towards the teacher coming to seal it, so the paper would be anonymous when it gets corrected and graded. "Good luck, Yagami," she smiled.
"Thank you." In truth, he wasn't worried at all. He told Ryuk to wait outside so he wouldn't be distracted by the shinigami staring at someone in a very creepy way or complaining about how bored he was halfway through the exam.
Namikawa's lawyer checked his bank account at the first hour in the morning. He grinned like a snake when he saw that Reiji had paid him the exact amount for which he asked and a few hundred dollars extra – just to make sure, probably. The lawyer put on his black suit and stiff white shirt then called his driver to take him to the police section.
Kitamura was surprised to hear someone claimed to have scheduled an audience at that hour. He didn't remember it and his agenda didn't either. However, he decided to let his visitor in. He was in a situation when he couldn't afford to be choosy.
"Good morning, Mr. Kitamura. Do you have half an hour? I'm afraid there's something important that we have to discuss. It's about your daughter's trial."
The superintendent froze in his seat. "About Amai? Did something happen?"
"To her? No… This is about another client of mine who is also very generous, just like your bother, sir. Let me say that I appreciate your family's generosity…"
"I thought you said you would be accepting this case for free."
"Free of financial charges, yes, but I'm afraid it won't be free. You see, I don't work for free – it's a family superstition. It's bad luck to work for free, Mr. Kiramura. I have a small favor to ask of you – really small. Some wouldn't even call it a favor." The lawyer grinned as he took the visitor's seat at the superintendent's desk.
Koreyoshi was nervous. He was fidgeting with a pen, trying to hide how worried he was. "What do you need me to do?"
"But first of all, let's talk about the trial. I understand that your daughter found some surveillance cameras in your house, correct? Where exactly?"
He nodded and decided to go along with it. "The first one she found was in the bathroom, replacing the magnet that holds a cabinet's door closed."
"So the view could be compromising, correct?"
"Well… yes, I think so."
The lawyer clarified. "Does that angle offer a view of the shower or bath tub? Or of the toilet?"
"It covers the whole bathroom, yes." After the lawyer nodded, he continued. "The second was in her bedroom, in the library. It was hidden between books and had a view of the entire bedroom, including the bed, the dressing, and the desk where she does her homework."
"Alright… And the third?"
"Excuse me, why aren't you taking any notes?"
The old man raised a bushy, white eyebrow. "Do I look like I need to take notes on paper?"
"No. Please excuse me. The third one she found was also in her bedroom, on a shelf of CDs above her desk. It covers the surface of the desk."
"What if she opens some drawers? Could the camera cover those?"
The man thought for a moment. "I don't know. It's possible. It depends on the camera's coverage."
"Does your daughter keep any diary or a burn book?"
The father frowned. "A burn book? My daughter would never hold such a thing."
"Girls usually keep one or both of these at her age. It's normal and they are usually very private about these, so I wouldn't be surprised if you don't know. I'm going to have to ask her the same questions, sir, and compare your answers. It's the standard procedure."
"I know," Kitamura sighed. "What do you want me to do?"
Yukimura smirked. "Well, first you have to understand that L has a lot of money. When we win this trial, you can ask for compensations – enough to secure the girl's future. You can even cover up the cost of her treatment for 50 years or longer."
The man nodded. "At what cost, sir?"
"Well… I need you to pick up a case, Mr. Kitamura, and lead the investigation. You will get involved, appear driven to succeed so that nobody suspects a thing, but secretly lead the investigation towards a neutral conclusion. You will not have enough evidence to connect a murder to my client so he can keep his image clean."
Kitamura stood up with his hands against the desk. "Are you asking me to help a murderer escape?!"
"On the contrary, sir. My client is innocent, but a rival is trying to frame him for murder." The lawyer was calm and confident, but Kitamura still couldn't believe it.
"Then, we're going to find the real murderer and send him behind bars! If you client is as innocent as you say, he has nothing to fear."
"The setting is very well-made, sir. Please," he gestured towards the chair and asked Kitamura to sit down. "They used my client's car. The victim worked for my client. Of course, there is no motive here, but just to be certain… You see, my client is a very important man, with business on two continents. He comes from a prestigious family and has worked his way through schools and successful projects to get where he is now. It would be a shame to destroy a man's life because someone decided to throw some dirt. He could even be your son, in terms of age."
The last phrase caught him defenseless. Kitamura had a stillborn son before his daughter was born. "I-I… I will see what can be done. But I can't promise you anything!"
"Of course, just like I can't promise that L won't find a way to win the trial," the lawyer shrugged. "But you know what they say, you can't control the future…" He stood up and began walking towards the door.
"…Wait!" Kitamura called him back. "I'm going to take the case. I'll see what I can do. If it's not obvious that your client is guilty, I think… I think I may be able to do what you asked."
"Ah, excellent!" Yukimura grinned over his shoulder. "I'd love to sit and talk some more, but I have to be in court in half an hour. It's a pleasure working with you, Mr. Kitamura."
Half an hour later, the lawyer met up with Caterina in a restaurant. She was already waiting at a table in the back. No one paid her much attention before, but when they saw such an old man sitting at her table, the entire restaurant began whispering.
"Good morning, dear. Did the plan go accordingly?"
Caterina nodded. "I bought them with just two hundred."
"Do you have proof?" he asked, as a waiter was approaching them.
"Yes. They sent me a video on a phone number I bought earlier this morning. I already destroyed it. The car was covered in motor oil and set on fire. They used a bottle with medical alcohol and a cloth set on fire to light it up. There's no way anything could be collected from the car."
"Can it be identified anymore?" the lawyer continued.
"The plate numbers were already off, so probably not. They'd have to drain the swamp and the river in order to look for them." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, pushing back a few locks. "How about you?"
"Don't worry," the lawyer smirked. "You two were in luck. I have a client who will do me a favor. His image won't be stained, but you're going to have to pay for this…"
Caterina frowned. "He already paid you more than you requested."
"Yes, of course, but there were some complications that I had to manage, and you know… Time means money. But if you think you can manage on your own from here, I'd be glad to withdraw."
"…I thought you had a history with the family." Caterina began to grow more and more suspicious about him.
"But I do – I never lie, young mistress. The difference is that previously, those I defended were innocent. My job was a lot easier."
She sighed deeply, trying to keep her calm. If it was one thing she hated more than Ross, it was the feeling of being cornered. "We're going to negotiate tonight. Is that alright? In this restaurant at ten."
The man nodded. "Eight is fine. Thank you for considering my schedule."
She felt her blood starting to boil. That old man was disrespecting her and she had no way of reacting because Namikawa still needed him… "At eight, then." Right when the waiter was approaching their table, she stood up, took her purse and her coat, and left the restaurant.
"Have a nice day!" the lawyer called after her, laughing to himself. "You there – come here, boy. Recommend me something, please," he addressed the waiter.
Caterina went straight to the Yotsuba headquarters, trying to reach Namikawa. There was something they had to decide carefully, and there was a chance he wouldn't be able to be at the restaurant by eight.
However, there was something that didn't even cross her mind. The vandals took pity into a homeless man who had been freezing under the bridge for a while. When they reached him, he seemed dead of hypothermia or frostbite, but they were surprised to feel the pulse at his neck.
"Hey, man, wake up! Yo!" one of them tried bringing him back to his senses.
The other slapped him a few times. "Dude, come on! Wake up. You're gonna freeze to death."
The man was slowly coming to his senses. His clothes were frozen and his skin was turning purple. He looked through the two boys trying to help him. "…Who are you?" He saw the car on fire on the opposite shore of the river.
"I'm Goro, he's Eiji. We've set up camp close." He tried to lift up the man by his shoulders, but the man couldn't stand on his own. Instead, he cringed and screamed in pain.
"Yo, man, his legs probably froze for good by now." Eiji picked him up from his other side and the two carried the man through the frozen swamp to a small abandoned construction. It was simply a cement floor with four walls and a roof that the boys had covered with plastic bags and cardboard. They also sealed the window with plastic and duct tape so they'd have some light inside, but keep out the cold. A pallet with cardboard and plastic tied around it with wire was replacing the door along with a cloth hanged as a curtain over it.
Inside, there were dirty clothes stacked together to form something like a mattress or a carpet. The boys also had a place in the middle of the room where they would burn trash in order to keep warm. They kicked some syringes into a corner and let the stranger sit down while Goro made the fire.
The man watched them closely. Eiji looked like a child, but his eyes were much more mature. He wasn't very tall and kept his hair in many thin braids, tied back into a half pony. He had no facial hair, but a piercing in his lower lip and several on both ears.
Goro looked like he was in his late twenties. He had a small beard cut chaotically and his hair was a mess of dark curls, reaching his shoulders. He had no piercings, but the man could see part of a tattoo at the base of his neck. Both of them were wearing dirty jeans and workout hoodies with a few other layers underneath.
"What's your name?" Eiji asked him, sitting beside him.
"…Kaito Ryuu," the man finally answered after some thought.
The kid began to laugh. "Kinda ironic, hah? Not really a dragon, man. More like a frog."
The man turned and punched him, but the kid had fast reflexes and caught his fist. "Don't disrespect me. If you help me, I'm going to return the favor. But I need time for that… And papers. Can any of you get me a phone with a new number?"
Eiji and Goro looked at each other. "Man, who are you? Did someone try to kill you?" Goro asked.
"Answer me. If you're useful to me, when I rise, you will as well."
Eiji nodded. "I think I can. When do you need it?"
"Soon. As soon as you can get it. How old are you two?" Kaito asked.
"I'm 24. He's 16," Goro answered. "Why?"
"Do you have papers? How did you get here?" Kaito continued.
"We ran away from home. We needed money for drugs, but then, the dealer disappeared," the elder of the two said. "You don't look like one, but if you're a cop, I'm gonna kill you."
"I'm not a fuckin' cop. I wanna kill a cop and his son, and the son's girlfriend, and a few other people, but I need papers and a new ID for that." He leaned on his hand and laid down. "My legs are broken. If I don't go to a hospital, the infection will kill me soon enough."
"Yo… dude, what the hell happened to you?" Eiji asked. He noticed the unnatural position of his legs and how the man didn't look bothered at all.
"Go out and get me a phone. You two are gonna be my sons. I did many things, but I never forgot those who helped me when I needed it…" He frowned towards Eiji. "Now move it. I ain't got all day."
The kid stood up and walked past Goro. He nodded towards the man discreetly and Goro nodded to sign that he understood. After that, Eiji pulled the hood over his head and left. The teenager was still unsure if this man was their second chance in life, or the one who was going to end it, but no matter the case… that man looked important.
The next day, Goro was sent out with an equally important mission. He was going to meet with a man at the train station and pretend he was Kaito Ryuu, aged 45, Japanese, divorced, and with two children. He was going to answer the stranger's questions and avoid showing his face in order to gain a fake ID for the stranger. The papers were going to be delivered without a photograph – it was up to Kaito to solve that issue.
In the meantime, an article became viral on the internet in a short time after being published. It claimed that the Vice President of Sales of the Yotsuba corporation's Asian branch, Namikawa Reiji, had been using Vicenzo Vargas as a slave then murdered him over a minor incident. It appeared under many names: "Vice President of Slaves? Murdered slave found dead!", "Immigrant gone missing, possibly murdered by Japanese businessman", "The Yotsuba hidden slave labor program".
When Namikawa walked out of the Yotsuba headquarters, the reporters were already there. He hated it, but couldn't let this show – it would only ruin his image further.
"Mr. Reiji, how do you comment on the accusations?" a blonde asked.
"It is most obviously a set up," he answered briefly.
"Mr. Reiji, did you hire an immigrant without a legal contract? Is it true that you were not paying his salary or the contributions you owe to the state?"
"I owe no contributions to the state that I haven't already paid. I dare the authorities to prove I am one yen behind with my payments towards the state."
"Did you use slave labor, Mr. Reiji?" a man asked. "Are you involved in slave trading?"
"This whole case is a set up. I will contact my lawyer and I wish to ask the police to open an investigation. I have done no such things!" Reiji barely made his way to the new car he had bought the day after the murder.
"Why have you changed your car, Mr. Reiji? How did you afford it?" a brunette asked.
"Good question. Please do some research – my previous was seven-years-old, and I bought this car in leasing." Smiling, Namikawa started the engine and waited for the reporters to make way. He drove away as soon as the road was free. Hopefully, no one could see how stressed he was or how his palms had been sweating.
When he parked the car in front of his house, Reiji noticed there were paparazzi hiding in the bushes and behind the fences of his neighbors. He walked inside like nothing happened, closed the door, then sighed in relief. He loosened the tie around his neck and took off his shoes. "Caterina? Rin?"
Caterina looked over the railway. She was wearing one towel around her body and another one on her head. "You're home early."
"Yes… Have you heard? It's in the press already." He sounded almost desperate, but still capable of controlling himself.
"I've heard. Rin warned us about this. It seems there is a group of three reporters working with more press companies that had downloaded the article in the first ten seconds after it's been published. They had been informed where to look for it and at what time, very precisely. Rin thinks that by tracking them, we will eventually reach the Russian Mafia." She went into her room, but left the door open. By this point, she had grown comfortable around Namikawa and trusted him enough to know he won't try to see her naked. "But it doesn't mean that they're part of the Mafia, you know?"
He remained downstairs in the living room. Reiji was trying to recap everything that happened. "Caterina, please bring me some paper and a pen from my desk."
After getting dressed, she went into his room to get the paper and pen. "I still don't understand something. If we blew up the car, why did you insist for me to meet up with your lawyer last night?"
Namikawa looked up. "I need to be certain nothing will happen," he sighed. After Caterina sat by his side, he took the paper and began writing down the main events from the past few weeks. "We still don't know for sure who ordered that mall assault. Also, could it be possible for Vittorio to have had a reason for being so agitated?"
She held her knees close and leaned into her seat. "I guess… But these are only assumptions. There's nothing certain."
"I'm afraid that's all we've got for now. You know I'm not adept of this strategy, but the only thing left for us to do is formulate theories and hypotheses, then start verifying them. Everything false gets ruled out, until we're left with the truth."
Caterina shook her head. "I don't like this. I say we should wait. Let's focus on the murder case – it demands all of our attention. Ross and Frost can wait.
Just then, Rin walked out of her room and went to turn on the TV in the living room. "Look. The police will open an investigation."
Light was also watching the news report. Just like he anticipated, it was shaking the Yotsuba group's credibility and staining their image greatly. The press was full of sharks waiting to uncover such juicy stories, even if they eventually turned out to be fake.
In truth, there was a chance that Caterina had helped Reiji cover up their tracks and destroy some evidence. It was very likely that Reiji will come up with a brilliant lawyer who had a chance to win the case in court. However, his image was stained for a long time from now on, and he was going to be kept under observation for a while – both by the police and by the media.
He went downstairs and offered to do the groceries for his mom, just to have an excuse to leave the house. Kira went to check his bank account before anything else, then called his colleague. To his surprise, it was Midori who picked up.
'Yes? Who is it?'
Instantly, he knew that the number was not saved. "I'm calling from the book store. Someone ordered 'Crime and Punishment' and left this number for contact," he immediately came up with a lie. He was passing by a book store and decided to mimic Frost.
'Oh! That had to be my boyfriend. He's in the shower now, though. Is it alright if I tell him to call back in a few minutes? Or I could come and pick up the book for him.'
"He needs to sign for the delivery, I'm sorry. Tell him to call back as soon as he can, please. Thank you." Light looked around and bought the classic, lingering between the shelves full of books for a few minutes longer than needed.
'Is it for that device you ordered?' Ryuk asked, as he was looking around as well.
Light nodded. "Frost sent me almost double the money that I needed so I can afford a few more things. This will give us an excuse to meet without awakening anyone's suspicion. You can never know… Midori did work with Pember before, after all."
'Do you think she might work with L? Don't you think that's too much?'
"It never hurt to be too cautious. If it's one thing Caterina kept repeating to me over and over, it's this. I'd rather be safe than sorry." He kept browsing through the books signed by the same Russian author of the book he received from Frost.
Light could only find the second and the forth volumes of the series. Also, there were no biographic bits on the covers or inside those books. He couldn't find anything else, which was odd, considering how well-written the novel was.
'What exactly are you looking for?' The shinigami was easily bored.
"I don't know precisely. I need something useful, something that can prove that Frost is the writer…" he mumbled. "And maybe his real name." Just then, his phone rang and he answered it in silence. Light was waiting to hear the voice of his colleague and only talk once he was certain it was him. "How fast can you reach the supermarket by the metro station in my quarter?"
'I don't know… Fifteen minutes, I guess?'
Light looked towards Ryuk with a small grin. "In twenty, then. Take your time. We'll meet just outside, at the left corner – your left." After he hung up, he paid for the book and went to buy what his mother needed.
In less than an hour, Light returned with the groceries and with a tablet that could double as a TV or a radio with no problem. He hid it in a bag of potato chips then went back upstairs into his room.
'Hey… Light? The cameras are gone,' the shinigami noticed. It immediately began looking for them everywhere. 'They're not here anymore.'
Light's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"
'Of course! I've looked everywhere – all of 'em are gone!'
He couldn't believe his ears. Light checked for himself in order to take Ryuk seriously. "…I think the universe just joined my team," he grinned. Taking out a hardcover notebook he had bought last year with the intention of keeping a planner for his school projects, then began measuring the tablet and the pages of the notebook. Cutting through the pages and gluing the frames together, he was left with a solid frame fitting the tablet perfectly. Rubber bands were attached in order to keep the tablet in place.
'I honestly don't know what that's for, but it looks cool.'
"This is for using the tablet without others knowing it. I can hold it this way and it looks like I'm just reading through my notes," Kira demonstrated. "It's also great for protecting the device from shocks, heat or sunlight, so that's a bonus. But the main reason is for the tablet to look just like any other notebook. Now, for the other notebook…"
'Which one?' Ryuk was fascinated. He watched Light closely as he emptied a drawer in his desk.
"For the Death Note, of course." He made a simple circuit using copper wire, a battery, some pen pieces made of metal and a piece of rubber attacked to a fake bottom. "I'm also going to keep a few pages of the Death Note on me at all times, but just in case someone comes searching the room… a short circuit will spark a flame, destroying the Death Note instantly."
'Ooh! But then, you're only be left with those pages.'
"That's your job to find me another Death Note in case things go that way. And if anyone gets suspicious, I'm going to say it was a journal and I didn't want anyone reading it. Any psychologist will support me in this, saying that it's perfectly normal at my age and so on."
Later that evening, he went to sleep feeling lonelier than ever. Ever since Caterina had left him, he had been feeling lonelier than usual – it was the main reason why he took advantage of Midori, using her and then selling her in exchange of a delivery. Caterina's words from the last time they spoke kept twisting his mind, making him turn from one side to the other in bed with no chance of falling asleep. How could she say that she'd 'fall with the rest of the rotten world'? It was absurd!
Yet, if he knew what she did, especially with what she was about to do, he would probably hesitate less than a second in writing down her name. The girl had trouble sleeping alone too, finding Light's voice invading her thoughts and the memories of their better days taking over her dreams. In the middle of the night, she stood up and let her feet take a few quiet steps out of her room and into the room of her partner for the past month.
She was surprised to find Namikawa sitting at the desk in his room, still awake and working on something. He closed the notebooks and gathered the papers into a file when he heard her sneaking in. "What's wrong?" he asked softly, turning towards her.
"Can't sleep," she mumbled. "I can't stop… thinking…"
"Of what?" the man asked her, waiting for her to walk into his arms. When she didn't reply, he understood that he wasn't the reason of her insomnia. In truth, both of them knew, but both decided to ignore Light's whole existence.
Clueless about her betrayal, Kira went downstairs to warm himself a cup of milk in the microwave and melt two teaspoons of honey in it with some poppy seed paste. With his hot drink and the hope of falling into a forced sleep, he climbed back to his room and tried to stop his mind from obsessing over Caterina. He set the phone on the side of the bed where she slept once or twice, then closed his eyes for a few long seconds.
When he opened them again, the sun was already up. His phone showed he had slept a little over 1pm. He felt numb, covered in a thin layer of sweat and with his jaws tense. Whatever it was that he dreamed, it couldn't have been anything pleasant. Perhaps it was better he couldn't remember it. Light forced himself out of bed and dragged his feet to the bathroom. He couldn't stand himself without a shower.
It was the last day before the entrance exams and Light could barely focus on what he was reading. Eventually, he gave up and threw himself on the bed, reading the novel that Frost had sent him.
Caterina also woke up late. She didn't hear Namikawa leaving to work in the morning, but she woke up across his bed, with her legs wrapped around the blanket and her arms covering her face from the sun. Since the maid didn't want to wake her, Rin decided to walk in.
"'Morning, sleeping beauty. It's half past one - even I'd be awake by now. I mean, I heard stories of exhaustion and stuff, but come on," she threw her a half smirk.
Still confused, Caterina stook up and tried to cover herself. "What are you doing here? Get out!"
"The maid wants to clean the room. Hurry up – she wants to be done by two." Still amused, the girl eventually left.
She looked for her pajamas and got dressed. Caterina still couldn't believe what she did, but the more awake she became, the more certain she was of one thing only. Whatever pushed her into that room was unimportant. She had no regrets and felt no guilt. It was simply surprising – unexpectedly good, unimaginably soft, but still exhausting.
Her phone rang a little while after she went to her room. Caterina had gotten undressed again, looking through the dresser for something to wear. She picked up without paying it much thought. "Yes?"
'Caterina Rosa… Amadeo? Is that the correct pronunciation?' a man's voice asked. It was calm, trying too hard to seem friendly and warm. It made her suspicious.
"That would be the correct one, yes. May I know who is speaking?" Caterina covered her chest and turned to look towards the windows. She couldn't see anyone trying to peek through the curtains.
'Suguru Shimura, calling from the Yotsuba corporation. I understand that you could help rehabilitate the company's image, correct?'
"Depends on the information you have, sir. How did you obtain my number, if I'm not being disrespectful? I do have the right to know, you realize." Caterina leaned against the door of her dressing.
'Why don't you come pay us a visit? We can clarify more this way, you realize,' the man returned her words with a hint of passive-aggressiveness. 'I am the head of personnel, and I believe we can arrange a collaboration contract that would benefit both the corporation and yourself, miss.'
Still suspicious, she decided to go along with it. "At what hour should I be there? And in what room, if you don't mind?"
'Is it alright by three in the main conference room?'
"It's perfect." Caterina hung up before the other could say another word. "Shimura, he said… Head of Personnel." Smirking, she took out a pair of black dress pants and a burgundy shirt.
Rin was stuffing her mouth with food when she heard Caterina's heels coming down the stairs. "And where do you think you're going like that?"
"I've got to negotiate a few things. Please order a cab for me." She went to the kitchen for a cup of coffee and two cereal biscuits. In the meantime, she tried calling Namikawa, but all she heard was a busy tone.
Reiji was still in a meeting with the rest of the vice presidents. He tried keeping a straight face and show none of his worries, but the atmosphere was only getting more tense. Everyone's eyes were on him, asking him to defend himself over and over again.
"Sales going down mean lower profit, you realize. In this rhythm, we're going to lose half of our income in four months and half," Shingo Mido commented, leaning with his head on his hand.
"We should invest more in advertising," Eiichi Takashi concluded.
"That's enough," Ooi sighed. "We will be taking a break for half an hour. We meet again at 2:30 sharp."
Reiji was relieved, but couldn't show it. Shimura was always watching and he was the most observant of them. The thought only stressed him more. And then, there was that moment when he walked out of the meeting room, supposedly going to the bathroom…
When he left the conference room, he looked at his phone and saw a missed call from Caterina. Namikawa asked his secretary for coffee and decided to call her back. "Yes, my dear? Has anything happened?"
'I'm in a cab right now. I'll be there in a minute, alright? Just don't let anyone guess what's really going on.'
He frowned slightly, safe in the privacy of his office. "What do you mean by that?" When he heard the reason behind Shimura's moment of 'weakness', he instantly knew what they were trying to do. Ooi was certainly behind this, and he probably wanted to prove Caterina unable of administrating her father's business empire and manipulate her into leaving everything to him. By law, Reiji would have no saying it that situation.
"Listen to me, sweetheart – prepare your speech well. Present everything clearly. They're going to interrupt you, ask you irrelevant questions, and try to intimidate you. I won't be able to stand up for you…"
'I know,' she answered him, 'I borrowed an agenda from you and I've been making notes of everything that has happened lately. Don't worry… We both knew it would eventually happen.'
The secretary brought him his coffee. He nodded in thanks, then took a sip. "Try to be here earlier. The break ends at 2:30, and Mr. Ooi doesn't tolerate delays."
'Shimura told me to be there by 3:00. Another trick, you think?'
"Most likely. Watch out for him, he's… very attentive. More than Mr. Ooi, he's going to read you and mimic your body language."
Naturally, he was worried – their futures were both on the line. Reiji drank some more of his coffee, trying to kill a headache with the help of a pill. Those meetings were pressuring even for him even when he had years of experience and knew the field extremely well. He couldn't imagine how it would be for Caterina, considering that she's probably never attended such a meeting before. Her only chance would be to rely on the cold blood and on the predator instincts that she could have inherited from her father. Reiji wasn't certain she had those qualities, and it worried him greatly.
Author's Notes:
Thanks to AbandonedSock proofreading yet another chapter, it could be published. Also, I want to thank HisRedRose123 for the support, once again! The first character sheet and the next chapter are going to be published as soon as they're being proofread, just to make sure they're decent in terms of grammar and typos.
